


White Hair

by kyanitedragon



Series: TG Drabbles [3]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Angst, Gen, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:27:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28207569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyanitedragon/pseuds/kyanitedragon
Summary: After their reunion on the roof, Kaneki has something painful to tell Hide. And unfortunately, Hide has something painful to tell him, too.
Relationships: Kaneki Ken | Sasaki Haise & Nagachika Hideyoshi
Series: TG Drabbles [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2063502
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	White Hair

"Hide, you... You might not want to let things go back like old times..." Kaneki warned, voice soft and quiet.

"Huh?" Hide's eyes widened. "Why not? I've come this far, I even got the CCG and Ghouls to work together!" Hide dived to grab and squeeze Kaneki's hands, but Kaneki pulled away before they made contact. "I don't care what happens, I'm not leaving you Kaneki! Nothing can get rid of me and nothing can tear us apart!"

"Hide, you don't understand..." 

"I know, I know." Hide grimaced. "I know I can never understand what you're going through. But you're not going to hurt me again and—"

"Hide, that's not it." Kaneki shook his head. "I got better. A lot more control since back then." _Although I guess all that control went down the drain once I fought Suzuya..._ "But that's not what I was referring to."

"Then what?" Hide asked, starting to get nervous. 

_What's worse than losing control? Worse than what you already did?_

"I..." Kaneki sighed. "I'm dying, Hide..."

"Hah?! How?! Are you hurt?!" Hide jumped to his feet and was about to drag him back to go see Kimi, but Kaneki grabbed him to stop and steady him.

"It's... It's not a wound, Hide. I'm aging. Rapidly aging."

Hide glanced up at his hair. "...Oh."

They each let go of each other. Hide plopped back down to sit beside him.

"I guess it's cuz I'm an artificial ghoul. My cells can't keep up with all the fights and regeneration."

"How much time do you have?" Hide asked.

"I don't know..."

"Can we fix it?"

"Nishio-san said to not use my kagune, but that... didn't really work." 

Hide glanced at the dragon form still visible in the city and wrapped around buildings.

"Wow."

"Yeah." Kaneki scoffed. "Nishio-san also said ingesting rc cells might counteract it, but that's just in theory."

"Ingesting rc cells? So that means—"

"Cannibalizing ghouls." Kaneki finished. "I did that years ago. Back when I left the 20th ward."

"Oh, right." 

He was known as the incomplete kakuja Centipede.

"That didn't end well either..." Kaneki whispered. He stared at Hide's scarf.

"Well," Hide sighed. "You're not the only one."

"Hm?"

"I... I'm probably not gonna live too long either."

Kaneki's eyes widened. He felt like he had the wind kicked out of him. "You're... You're a half-human?!"

"Yup..." Hide nodded sadly. "I probably have only a few years left until my hair looks like yours."

Kaneki just stared at him, his heart broken. Hide didn’t deserve to have a life like that. He blinked, and felt tears falling down his face.

“Kaneki...” Hide whispered, giving him a pitying look.

Kaneki laughed bitterly, wiping away his tears. _Always worrying about me._

“Hide, I...” Kaneki trailed off. He didn’t know what to say. He shook his head in disbelief.

“Yeah.” Hide sighed. “Cruel world, huh?”

There was silence as they sat together. The air was tense with those two realizations out in the open.

“But that’s why I fought so hard.” Hide added. “I had to succeed. I had to see you again, before it was too late.”

Kaneki nodded. “I’m glad it worked. I’m glad to see you again.”

“So let’s stay together this time.” Hide said, reaching out to hold and squeeze Kaneki’s hand. “No matter how much or how little time we have left. Let’s stay together.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Kaneki leaned in to hug him. “I’m glad you’re in my life.”

“And I’m glad you’re in mine.”


End file.
